Medical, dental, pharmaceutical, veterinary or mortuary instruments and devices that are exposed to blood or other body fluids require thorough cleaning and anti-microbial deactivation between each use. It is not unusual during a medical procedure for a medical device that is being used during the procedure to require immediate cleaning, i.e., sterilization, to allow continued use of the device. For example, a medical device may be dropped to the floor or may come in contact with a non-sterile surface. Either situation would require sterilization of the instrument or device before further use. Sterilization processes that provide quick turnaround have historically been referred to as “flash” sterilization. More recently, the term “immediate use” sterilization is considered more appropriate.
The present invention provides a sterilizer for “immediate use” sterilization, which sterilizer provides a container that maintains the sterilized device sterile during transport from the sterilizer to a surgical suite or other area of use.